Recovery Act Dollars being spent in The Valley

How Some of Your Money is Being Spent

“Since Recovery Act dollars began to be released in March, the Fifth District has received more than $350 million, helping to create or save 1,600 jobs. This includes construction projects with Lowell Public Housing, Community Health Center expansions in Lawrence and Lowell, and double tracking along the Fitchburg and Haverhill commuter rail lines. Additionally, leading clean energy companies such as American Superconductor in Devens and Beacon Power in Tyngsboro have been able to add research and manufacturing jobs, and hundreds of local teacher, firefighter, and law enforcement jobs have been saved.”

– 5th District Congressman Niki Tsongas

• Over 90 Public Safety positions across the Fifth District been retained or created, including 12 police officers in Lawrence and 34 Police Department positions in Lowell

• 31 firefighters have been hired, including 16 firefighters in the Methuen and Lawrence area and 3 in Chelmsford

• The Recovery Act has saved over 1400 teacher and staff jobs in the public school system by providing Education funds – including preserving over 100 jobs in Dracut, 60 jobs in Methuen, 500 positions in Lawrence, 35 in Bolton and 400 positions in Lowell

• Nobis Engineering of Lowell was awarded a $14 million Recovery funded contract to finish cleanup of a Superfund site in Lowell, work which will create 50-70 high paying construction jobs

• Expansion projects at Lowell Community Health Center and Greater Lawrence Family Health Center are creating construction jobs, as well as permanent health care jobs, while increasing access to primary and other health cares services in the Merrimack Valley

• Aerodyne Research of Billerica, Triton Systems of Chelmsford and Physical Sciences of Andover are all examples of businesses receiving Small Business Innovation Research funds. These funds ensure that high-tech, innovative businesses are a significant part of the federal government’s research and development efforts

• $4 million in Federal Research and Development dollars have been competitively awarded to the University of Massachusetts Lowell

• Recently, a $24 million contract with the Department of Energy was awarded to Beacon Power of Tyngsborough. This will not only create jobs, but also help deliver reliable power more effectively with less impact on the environment, helping sustain our communities for the long term. This project will demonstrate advanced Smart Grid technologies and improve grid reliability while increasing the use of wind and solar power.

• Community Teamwork Inc. of Lowell recently was awarded a Green Jobs grant to train 75 youth on solar installation and weatherization through YouthBuild.

• The Lowell Housing Authority created 30 jobs with over $3.7 million they received for capital improvements to housing units

• The Recovery Act has also helped those in greatest need. Massachusetts received over a $20 billion increase in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly the Food Stamp Program.

Tom Duggan is president and publisher of The Valley Patriot Newspaper in North Andover Massachusetts, a #1 Best Selling Author, Host of the Paying Attention Radio Program on WCAP in Lowell, lectures on media bias and police issues, is a former Lawrence School Committeeman, former political director for Mass. Citizens Alliance, and a 1990 Police Survivor.
You can email your comments to valleypatriot@aol.com.